Full Circle Architecture Ful l Circle Architecture is a small firm in the eastern arctic founded by Keith Irving in 1989. Speaking of design in northern envi- ronments, Keith comments that good archi- tecture ‘is the product of a good architect and a good architectural process, with the key being taking the time to understand the context’. A desire to have a greater impact at a local community level, beyond being an architect, Keith Irving joined the planning committee of Iqaluit City Council and later, as a city councillor, was an advocate for the Iqaluit General Plan. Nunavut Legislative Building (1999) with Arcop Group in joint venture, Iqaluit, Nunavut. 63°north . The Nunavut Legislative Building is the tem- porary home of the Government of Nunavut. Located at Four Corners, the primary inter- section of the city, it illustrates a transparent system of governance. The chamber faces the street with a full wall of glass, providing views into the working of the assembly as well as views out to the street and the people that it governs. Public viewing is on the same level as the chamber. Symbolic reference to the qamu- tiik, the traditional sled, at the entries to the building and in the interior bridges continue to the chamber with the creation of a glulam whalebone structure over the Assembly space. The exterior of the building is described by Bruce Allan of Arcop as ‘softened down’, its form and orientation aligned with the wind and snow. Dark blue wood siding creates a contrast to the brown and white landscape, while aluminum joints recall blocks of snow and ice.The original design included ramped earth approaches to the entries, but the built reality is a cascade of galvanized steel stairs. In the context of its environment, this building significantly expresses the culture of Nunavut in aligning itself with the environment.
On Site review 11
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Spring 2004
Architecture of the Circumpolar Region
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